‘FARC’ detonates bus in northern Colombia: 8 injured

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Eight people were injured in the north of Colombia on Wednesday when alleged members of rebel group FARC detonated a bus.

The incident took place in Anori, a municipality 75 northwest of state capital Medellin.

According to local newspaper El Colombiano, the vehicle was detonated when explosives experts were investigating the bus that had been abandoned on the road connecting Anori with the capital of the Antioquia state.

Human Rights officials told El Colombiano the bus had been stopped by armed men who forced the driver and passengers off the bus and ordered them to continue their trip on foot.

The newspaper said local authorities suspected the FARC’s 36th front to be responsible for the terrorist attack.

Among the injured were civilians who ignored authorities’ warnings and were close to the bus at the time of the explosion.

“The area was closed off for civilians as close to the bus they had left explosive material,” the local disaster management director told the newspaper. However, “people entered without authorization at the moment the explosion occurred.”

The area around Anori is a FARC stronghold. The area is important for drug trafficking and close to the region where the FARC owns and extorts gold mines.

The rebels have been engaged in peace talks with Colombia’s government since November last year, but have continued to carry out attacks after no agreement on a ceasefire was reached.